Racial comments being discussed with City Council

For sometime, the City of Portageville has received letters and hosted some meetings with the And Justice For All group.

In a recent interview with Larry McClellon, president and CEO of And Justice For All, he noted “We have been dealing with the City Council about this problem for some time, possible about two year ago, at it is a racial issue,” he said. The issue at hand began when Floyd Simmons was mayor and has carried over to the current administration.

In a letter from Justice for All to the Portageville City Council back in October 2017 reads, “Justice For All has met with the City of Portageville's mayor, Floyd Simmons and City Council, on several meetings regarding the matter at hand; that the word "nigger" was being used in the workplace. Although, this was denied by Mayor Floyd Simmons and other members of the City Council that the claim this was simply untrue and that language would not be tolerated in the workplace. However, during our investigation of the the word "nigger" had been used on many occasions. We also found that the three Black employees and one employee's life had been put in a very dangerous situation by placing them on the city trash truck that not working properly. However, we understand that the new truck that was promised at one of the council meeting has arrived, which is a step in the right direction.”

McClellon went on to say, “After meeting with the plaintiffs, Rossevelt Mosby, Joseph Lee Young, and Derryl Heyest, And Justice For ALL ready to put this case to rest. We are not in the business of trying to tell city officials how to run their city. We have discussed at length, some terms we would like to see manifest.”

“The letter presented some requests that the council should consider.

1. A two and three dollar increase in wages per hour for the plaintiffs.

2. Vacation time - It is simply discriminatory practice at its worst when only White employees can roll over vacation time. We would like to see every employee treated fair and equal.

3. The Chief of Police has committed to hiring at least one Black police officer.

4. We recommend that at least one Black worker be placed or hired in a supervisory position.

5. The plaintiff would like to see the city elect a Black Mayor.

6. We would suggest that all parties involved meet at the city's discretion and settle the compensatory damages as well as punitive damages. Hopefully, this matter can be settled out of court. We ask that council be a fair matter.

7. We ask supervisor Scott Vires to give an open apology to the City of Portageville and to the three plaintiffs in this matter.

In December 2017, Portageville City Attorney Terry McVey was able to send a rebuttal letter answering the requests of Justice for All letter from October 2017. The letter reads, "As to the demands made in the letter the city responds to each individual demand: 1. Each of the three named employees, as well as all employees of the Refuge Department shall receive an increase in wages.

2. A new vacation policy has been adopted by the city, and is now in the books. It will be administered equally to all employees. The city denies that only white employees have been able to roll over their vacation time.

3. The City will affirmatively seek to employee at least one black Police Officer.

4. When an opening in a supervisory position arises, all employees of the City, as well as any other person, shall be considered without regard to race.

5. The City Council has no control over who is elected Mayor. This is completely up to the citizens and the voters of the City of Portageville.

6. The City will not offer to voluntarily pay any compensatory or punitive damages.

7. It is not under the control of the City Council what Scott Vires does or does not do regarding an open apology to the City of Portageville and to the three workers named.

McClellon did explain that prior to their involvement, the three plaintiffs did go the the NAACP for help. They met with the former council members at that time, after their meeting, the NAACP president told them, they did not have a case.

Since then, Justice for All send another letter to the City of Portageville in January 2018 saying they have found no evidence that the Police Department has exhibited racism in this complaint, However, from the last meeting, it was made clear that the word nigger has been used in the work place without accountability by two eye witnesses, that are Whites; along with their written signed account of the use of the word nigger, after Barack Obama became President of the United States.”

McClellon said in a private meeting with the new mayor, Denis McCrate. Mayor McCrate did say he had called McClellon to meet with him to find out what exactly was going on. The subject of monetary amounts at which McCrate said, that will have to handled through the City Attorney. “I just cannot write a check with out the board' approval, and in this case, this would have to discussed with our City Attorney,” McCrate said.

As of Monday afternoon, March 5th, the City of Portageville has not heard back from And Justice for All as to what their next move would be.